AZTI Leads Technological Innovation for a More Sustainable Food Industry

Carolina Najar, Director of Market Value – Food at AZTI

The food industry is undergoing a major transformation, driven by digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and growing public demand for healthier, more sustainable, and higher-quality products. However, the current economic climate threatens to slow progress in the medium term due to rising costs and tighter profit margins, making access to good food increasingly difficult for some groups.

In this context, AZTI has become a key player in developing and implementing advanced technological solutions that improve efficiency, traceability, sustainability, and customization across the entire food value chain. From smart sensors and predictive models to environmental assessment tools and personalized nutrition platforms, our innovations offer practical, impactful responses to the sector’s biggest challenges.

Advanced Sensors to Ensure Quality

Advanced sensors allow us to quickly and non-destructively assess key quality parameters in food products and processes. This ensures consistent quality, optimizes operations, reduces waste, and builds trust across the supply chain and among consumers. These capabilities are enhanced by predictive and prescriptive models that analyze complex data to forecast product behavior and adapt production in real time.

Tailored Digitalization: A Roadmap for Every Business

AZTI’s approach to digital transformation is personalized. We assess each company’s digital maturity to design a realistic roadmap aligned with its needs, goals, and capabilities. One example is AZPilotManager, a specialized software for R&D pilot plants that digitizes process management, centralizes data, and improves trial traceability—accelerating innovation and increasing efficiency in new product development.

Personalized Nutrition: AI in the Service of Health

Personalized nutrition is already a reality. We combine sensor technology, artificial intelligence, and digital platforms to develop precision nutrition solutions tailored to individual needs. Backed by over 15 years of research, we’re able to provide dynamic, scientifically validated nutritional recommendations. This added value is already helping companies create more personalized products and services for every stage of life.

Measurable, Transformative Sustainability

Sustainability is no longer optional. That’s why we created Envirodigital, the first software that measures, predicts, and reduces the environmental impact of food products across their life cycle. Based on the European Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology, it calculates environmental impact across 16 categories, identifies critical points, and supports eco-design strategies to improve performance. It also includes Enviroscore, a transparent environmental labeling system that helps consumers make more responsible choices.

Digital Fishing Fleet: Towards Smarter, More Sustainable Fishing

Technological innovation is also making waves in the fishing sector. After more than 40 years of close collaboration, we’re helping the industry go digital with tools that monitor fleet activity in real time, optimize routes and fuel use, and improve traceability from sea to table. These solutions support smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable fishing practices that meet both regulatory demands and market expectations.

This Isn’t a New Era—It’s the Only Era for the Food Industry

Digital transformation is more than a tech upgrade—it’s a strategic opportunity to enhance competitiveness, sustainability, and the industry’s ability to adapt to change, all while ensuring access to quality food for everyone. At AZTI, we’re driving this transformation through science, technological expertise, and strong partnerships with businesses—making us a key ally on the path toward a smarter, more personalized, and more sustainable food industry.

Originally published in: Estrategia empresarial